Slat reinforcement for vinyl fences

ABSTRACT

A fence having a reinforcement member for vinyl fence slats is provided. An elongate reinforcement member is disposed in hollow cavities formed in the fence slats to strengthen the slats against bending. The reinforcement member may be located in different fence slats in a section of fence according to the type of fence and the environment in which the fence is located.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/496,786, filed Jun. 14, 2011, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

THE FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vinyl fences. More specifically, the present invention relates to a reinforcement structure which fits inside of vinyl fence slats and which stabilizes the vinyl fence slats against bowing.

BACKGROUND

Vinyl fences are becoming increasingly more popular fences. Vinyl fencing offers many advantages over traditional fencing materials such as wood. For example, vinyl fencing does not deteriorate as wood fencing does, and does not require refinishing as wood fencing does. Vinyl fencing, however, does have some disadvantages. Vinyl, as a material, is flexible and also experiences moderate expansion due to temperature changes.

The flexibility of vinyl often allows more movement than is desired when force is applied to the pickets or slats of a vinyl fence. For example, children playing soccer and kicking a ball against the fence slats will often cause the slats to bend back and forth. Similarly, children walking next to a fence will often push on or otherwise play with the fence, causing the slats to bend or bow. Moderate bending of the fence slats is undesirable and it is viewed negatively by the fence owner and may also cause scuffing of wear of the fence. Higher degrees of bending may even kink or permanently bend the fence slat, damaging the fence and requiring replacement of the damaged fence slats.

Another problem experienced by vinyl fence slats or pickets is the bending of the slats due to the sun causing one side of the slat to be hotter than the other side of the slat. The warmer side of the fence slat facing the sun will expand due to the heat, causing the fence slats to bow. This effect is more pronounced in the darker fencing material colors which are becoming more popular. In some cases, fence slats may bow as much as 2 inches or more due to the sun heating one side of the fence.

Regardless of the cause, excessive bending of the fence slats reduces the perceived quality of the fence and can cause damage to the fence. As such, there is a need for improved fencing to strengthen the fence slats and pickets. There is a need for an economical method to strengthen the slats and pickets and prevent bowing and bending of the slats due to environmental conditions as well as physical contact with the fence.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved vinyl fence slat and system for strengthening vinyl fence slats and pickets.

According to one aspect of the invention, a vinyl fence slat is provided which includes a metal reinforcement. According to another aspect of the invention, a metal reinforcement is provided which is removable from the vinyl fence slat, and which may be retrofitted to existing fences. The metal reinforcement may be added to vinyl fencing as is needed to control bending in the fence slats. According to another aspect of the present invention, a vinyl fence is provided which includes a metal reinforcement in some of the fence slats but not in other fence slats within the same fence panel.

These and other aspects of the present invention are realized in a reinforced vinyl fence slat as shown and described in the following figures and related description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Various embodiments of the present invention are shown and described in reference to the numbered drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of typical prior art vinyl fence components;

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a typical prior art vinyl fence slat;

FIG. 3 shows a perspective view of a metal slat reinforcement according to the present invention;

FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a reinforced fence slat according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 shows a reinforced vinyl fence panel according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 shows another reinforced vinyl fence panel according to the present invention.

It will be appreciated that the drawings are illustrative and not limiting of the scope of the invention which is defined by the appended claims. The embodiments shown accomplish various aspects and objects of the invention. It is appreciated that it is not possible to clearly show each element and aspect of the invention in a single Figure, and as such, multiple figures are presented to separately illustrate the various details of the invention in greater clarity. Similarly, not every embodiment need accomplish all advantages of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The invention and accompanying drawings will now be discussed in reference to the numerals provided therein so as to enable one skilled in the art to practice the present invention. The drawings and descriptions are exemplary of various aspects of the invention and are not intended to narrow the scope of the appended claims. The term ‘slat’ is frequently used herein to represent both vinyl fence slats and pickets.

Turning now to FIG. 1, a perspective view of prior art vinyl fence components is shown. The fence includes a hollow vinyl fence post 10. The post 10 is shown at installed height; it is appreciated that a few feet of fence post is buried in the ground, typically in concrete. The post 10 includes a hole 14 for a lower rail 18, and also includes an upper hole for an upper rail, not shown. The lower rail 18 is inserted into the hole 14 and another hole in another fence post. The rail 18 has a channel 22 formed on the top of the rail to receive fence slats 26. The fence slats 26 are also received in a similar channel in the bottom of an upper rail. When assembled, the fence slats are held in the upper and lower rails.

FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of a typical fence slat 26. The slat 26 is typically formed to appear as having a few smaller slats 26 a. The slat 26 is hollow, having interior cavities 30. The slat 26 is rigid and self-supporting. Reinforcement webs 34 have been formed in the slats, extending across the cavities 30 to strengthen the slat 26. These webs 34, however, have proven insufficient to adequately strengthen the slat 26 against bending in some situations. The slat 26 has a tongue 38 and a groove 42 to interlock with adjacent slats. A typical slat is about ⅞ths of an inch thick, forming cavities 30 which are about ¾ths of an inch wide.

As discussed above, existing vinyl fences suffer from excessive bending in many applications. Contact from children, balls, etc. causes the fence to bend excessively. Sunlight causes uneven temperatures on different sides of the slats and causes them to bend. The bending is undesirable and unsightly, and can also cause scuffing or damage to the fence. If bent too far, the slats may kink or become permanently deformed. In winter weather, excessive bending may cause the vinyl to crack. In some cases, the slat may become sufficiently bent to come out of the fence rails. The bending is problematic because of the damage that it may do to the fence. The bending is also problematic in that it lowers the perceived quality of the fence. Many homeowners do not want a fence which bends as discussed.

To remedy the bending problems associated with the vinyl slats 26, the present invention uses metal reinforcement members 46 which are inserted into some of the cavities of the fence slats 26. The reinforcement members are shown in FIG. 3. The reinforcement members 46 are preferably formed of extruded aluminum or galvanized steel. These may have different shapes, but hollow round tube, hollow rectangular or square tube, and I beam shapes work well. The reinforcement members are preferably an easy fit within the cavity 30 for ease of installation. The reinforcement member 46 may be about 0.75 inches thick so as to fit snugly into a typical slat cavity 30. As such, the I beam or rectangular reinforcement member 46 may be about 0.75 inches by 0.5 inches wide and tall, and the square or round reinforcement member 46 may be about 0.75 inches wide and tall. It has been found that, for these shapes and sizes, a wall thickness of about 0.03 inches provides a good balance of strength and weight.

It will be appreciated that the dimensions of the reinforcement member 46 may vary according to the size of the slat 26. Where the slats 26 are thicker or thinner, the reinforcement member 46 may also be thicker or thinner. The particular size of the reinforcement member 46 is typically chosen to allow a person to easily insert the reinforcement member into a cavity 30.

FIG. 4 shows a fence slat 26 having a reinforcement member 46 disposed in a cavity 30. The slat 26 is a typical vinyl fence slat which is usually formed from polyvinyl chloride. The slat 26 is rigid and self-supporting. A reinforcement member 46 is placed into a desired number of cavities 30 to further strengthen the fence panel. The reinforcement member may be inserted on site as the fence is installed. The number of reinforcement members 46 which are used may be varied according to the needs and desires of the homeowner. The reinforcement member 46 is easily slid into a cavity 30 of the fence slat 26. Applicants have discovered that, for many situations, it is not necessary to place reinforcement members in all of the fence slats. In many normal fence installations, two or three reinforcement members 46 may be installed in a single fence panel, typically consisting of about 7 fence slats.

FIG. 5 shows a typical section of vinyl slat fence 50 having reinforcement members 46 according to the present invention. For clarity, the slats 26 are drawn as simple slats without any ornamentation. It is appreciated that the same principles apply to slats which have been molded to represent multiple slats each. The fence section 50 includes two posts 10, upper and lower rails 18 extending between the posts 10, and multiple slats 26 which have been placed vertically into channels in the rails 18 so as to fill the space between the posts 10. Reinforcement members 46 have been placed into the slats as desired. For a typical residential installation, two reinforcement members 46 may be used; with each reinforcement member 46 being placed into each of the slats 26 which are nearest the posts 10. Where additional strengthening is desired, such as in a schoolyard, a high wind area, or where the fence is expected to experience significant physical contact, a few additional reinforcement members 46 may be placed into slats 26 near the middle of the fence section. For maximum strength, reinforcement members 46 may be placed in every slat 26.

FIG. 6 shows a typical section of vinyl picket fence 54 with the reinforcement members 46. The individual slats (or pickets) 26 b are typically inserted into a lower rail 18 and pass through a middle rail 18 a. As the slats 26 b are not interconnected with a tongue and groove, it is typically desirable to place a reinforcement member 46 into each slat 26 b as shown. As discussed, the reinforcement members 46 strengthen the slat sufficiently to prevent excessive bending and bowing caused by sunlight, physical contact, etc. The reinforcement members can prevent the slats from being knocked out of the fence. The reinforcement members prevent damage to the slats and fence and increase the durability and visual appearance of the fence.

There is thus disclosed an improved reinforced vinyl fence slat. It will be appreciated that numerous changes may be made to the present invention without departing from the scope of the claims. 

1. A vinyl fence comprising: a first vertically disposed fence post a second vertically disposed fence post; a first fence rail extending horizontally between the first post and the second post; a second fence rail extending horizontally between the first post and the second post, the second fence rail being disposed above the first fence rail; a plurality of slats extending vertically between the first fence rail and the second fence rail, each of the plurality of slats having a cavity formed in the interior thereof extending lengthwise along the slat; and an elongate reinforcement member removably disposed in the cavity of one of the plurality of slats so as to extend along the length of the slat.
 2. The fence of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member is formed from elongate extruded metal.
 3. The fence of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member has a width which is similar to a width of the channel.
 4. The fence of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement member extends longitudinally along the length of the slat.
 5. The fence of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slats are connected together via a tongue and groove, and wherein not all of the slats have a reinforcement member disposed therein.
 6. The fence of claim 4, wherein a first reinforcement member is disposed in a first slat which is located adjacent the first post and a second reinforcement member is disposed in a second slat which is located adjacent the second post and wherein slats between the first slat and second slat do not have a reinforcement member disposed therein.
 7. The fence of claim 1, wherein the plurality of slats are spaced apart laterally from each other and wherein each of the plurality of slats has a reinforcement member disposed therein.
 8. A fence comprising: a first fence post; a second fence post; a first fence rail extending between the first fence post and the second fence post; a second fence rail extending between the first fence post and the second fence post, the second fence rail being disposed above the first fence rail; a plurality of hollow plastic fence slats extending vertically between the first fence rail and the second fence rail; and an elongate reinforcement member removably disposed inside of a fence slat so as to extend longitudinally along the slat.
 9. The fence of claim 8, wherein two of the plurality of fence slats have elongate reinforcement members disposed therein and wherein one of the plurality of fence slats does not have an elongate reinforcement member disposed therein.
 10. The fence of claim 8, wherein the elongate reinforcement member is a length of extruded metal.
 11. The fence of claim 10, wherein the elongate reinforcement member is about three quarters of an inch wide and is formed from metal which is about 0.03 inches thick.
 12. The fence of claim 10, wherein the plurality of fence slats engage each other with a tongue and groove connection, wherein an elongate reinforcement member is disposed in a first slat placed adjacent the first fence post, wherein an elongate reinforcement member is disposed in a second slat placed adjacent the second fence post, and wherein fence slats disposed between the first slat and the second slat do not have an elongate reinforcement member.
 13. The fence of claim 8, wherein the plurality of fence slats are separated from each other laterally and wherein each of the plurality of fence slats has an elongate reinforcement member disposed therein.
 14. The fence of claim 8, wherein each of the fence posts, fence rails and fence slats are hollow vinyl. 